It Won't Stop
by Chaotic Reflections
Summary: He felt lightheaded; his thoughts were tangled up in knots and butterflies fluttered wildly inside his stomach. He gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. It just didn't add up; she should not have such a strong effect on him, but she did and she wasn't even trying to.


"It Won't Stop"

Written by PoeticLover1996

I dedicate this story to my good friend jazzybizzle, who has always given me kind words, love, encouragement, and constant support. She's an amazing author, and I strongly suggest you give her stories a try; they're definitely worth the read :)

It's been a minute since I wrote a Shadally one shot, so I figured I should remedy said problem by writing one, and hopefully there will be more to come. Please excuse any mistakes made; I did my best to edit this, but I can't catch everything. I hope you guys enjoy it, and Jazzy, this is for you sis :D

* * *

Shadow couldn't believe he was actually doing this, and he absently wondered if he could chaos control himself back to his apartment because this, he thought with a slight grimace, was simply and utterly ridiculous. He was standing outside of Sally's door, a bouquet of white lilies in one hand while in his other hand was a red, heart shaped box filled with KitKat bars. Sally didn't like the boxes filled with assorted chocolates, so he had to improvise. Hopefully she'd enjoy the KitKats.

He wore a black tuxedo, a red dress shirt and matching tie; black slacks took the place of his hover shoes, though he still wore his usual gloves, his Inhibitor rings gleaming in the moonlight. He tugged on the collar of his shirt, feeling slightly constrained in his tuxedo, not understanding why he even had to wear the damned thing.

It was Valentine's Day, and upon Rouge's insistence, they were going out to eat in celebration of the pointless holiday. Shadow didn't know what the hell he even had to celebrate. It wasn't as if he had his own valentine; he and Sally were paired off simply because they were the only two without dates. Amy was Sonic's date, Cream was Tails' date, Rouge was Knuckles' date, and Blaze was Silver's date. It was Blaze who had suggested that they should go with each other.

Both had protested vehemently against such a notion. Shadow said it would be a complete waste of his time, and Sally said she would sooner rip off her fingernails and gouge her own eyes out than to subject herself to such horrible torture. Rouge didn't like that at all, and, to put it simply, she threatened them to come. She had threatened to dismantle his motorcycle and sell the parts if he didn't show up, and she had threatened to dye Sally's hair blonde in her sleep if she didn't show up as well.

Sighing, he knocked on her door three good times and patiently waited for her to answer it. He could faintly make out the sound of footsteps, the sound gradually growing closer and closer until the door swung open and revealed one Sally Acorn, a mild look of irritation on her face, though it immediately gave way to one of joy when she saw what Shadow had in his hands.

Meanwhile, Shadow was numb with shock as he took in her appearance. The dress she wore was a gorgeous red color; it neatly stopped right at her feet while a slit ran all the way up her thigh and stopped a few inches below her hip on her right side. It was long sleeved and hugged her body just right, highlighting her curves. Her hair was straightened to perfection and fell to her shoulders.

She wore black high heels, and the only jewelry she wore were the medium-sized black hoops gracing her ears. She wore no makeup, save for some black eyeliner and red lipstick that made her full lips look kissable. She was the embodiment of elegance and sexiness, and Shadow found that he couldn't stop staring at her.

He was aware of the quickening of his heartbeats, and he felt an odd combination of nervousness and excitement. Strange, she never garnered such a reaction out of him before. What had changed? Was it because he was just now realizing how freaking gorgeous she looked, especially in that dress. Her breasts were surprisingly ample, her hips were deliciously wide, and that dress showcased that perfectly.

"Wow, you even brought me flowers and candy! Thank you!" Sally's cheerful voice brought Shadow back from his daze, and he shook his head to clear his mind. Sally, thankfully, didn't notice his lapse in concentration and instead gently took the beautiful bouquet and tasty candy from his hands. Smiling brightly, she gave him a kiss on the cheek, blissfully unaware of how Shadow froze, his eyes widening and the faintest of blushes staining his cheeks. "I'll put these up and then we can go." And she left without waiting for his response, her heels softly clicking against the hardwood floor of her living room.

Shadow was still staring where she had been standing, cupping the cheek she kissed with his hand. It was like his skin burned the most pleasant of fires when her lips touched them, and he found himself replaying the scene over and over in his mind. His lips twitched at the corners, and a ghost of a smile graced his lips before disappearing. Perhaps he'd profit from this ridiculous date thing after all.

Sally soon came back, slowly pulling her door shut and locking it with a soft click. She turned around, her dress swishing from the movement, and looked at him, her lips tugged into a beautiful smile that showed off her pearly white teeth. Her eyes, a stunning sapphire color, were captivating; they were so lively, filled with a burning fire that refused to be put out.

"So, where exactly are we supposed to be going?" Sally asked, one hand resting on her hip. Shadow, who was staring at her exposed thigh, racy thoughts swirling all around in his head without his consent, had to mentally shake his head to rid himself of such thoughts. Once his mind was cleared, he found the voice to answer her question.

"Red Lobster. We should probably leave, least we be late and incur Rouge's wrath," Shadow answered, inwardly praising himself for managing not to stumble over his words or let his voice betray what he was feeling. Before he could stop himself, he reached for her hand, holding it firmly in his own.

He could easily hear the hitch of her breath, and noted with a small twinge of happiness that her cheeks were a faint pink color. Her smile widened slightly, and she gave his hand a squeeze, slowly intertwining their fingers. Shadow could've sworn his emotions were in check, that he had put a tight lid on them, but those small actions succeeded in making his heart race.

He felt lightheaded; his thoughts were tangled up in knots and butterflies fluttered wildly inside his stomach. He gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. It just didn't add up; she should not have such a strong effect on him, but she did and she wasn't even trying to. He bit his lips to keep himself from saying anything he might regret later on and instead reached inside his pocket and pulled out a chaos emerald.

Without so much as a warning, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his body. His grip tightening on her, he chaos controlled them to their destination.

* * *

They were soon standing on the porch of the restaurant, though they weren't immediately aware of it. Sally's eyes were still firmly shut, her arms wrapped around Shadow's neck, her face buried against his chest fur. Breathing through her nose, she was instantly greeted with his scent. It was such a wonderful scent, and Sally took deep breaths, inhaling it to her heart's content.

Shadow rested his chin on top of her head, his hold on her tightening as he held her close. He marveled at how well their bodies fit together, as if they were somehow made for each other, though Shadow shot down the ludicrous thought as soon it came. He wasn't exactly keen on physical contact, and he didn't really tolerate others being all up in his personal space, yet he had no qualms with letting Sally touch him or invading his space. She was a welcomed presence, like a cool breeze blowing on a sweltering summer day.

"Sally! Shadow!" Both of their eyes widened, reality suddenly setting in, and they jerked apart as if they'd been burned. Their heads swiveled in the direction of where they'd heard the voices coming from and saw their friends standing on the steps of the porch.

Sally was the first to recover, her face breaking out into a breathtaking grin. Grabbing Shadow's hand, she ran towards them, dragging him along with her, and threw her arms around them all as she pulled them all into a group hug.

"Oh my gosh, you all look so nice!" she exclaimed excitedly, admiring the girls' outfits. Amy wore a pretty off the shoulder turquoise dress that stopped at her knees, its skirt flaring out. Her quills were pinned up in a neat pun, her lips glossed a clear color and her eyes outlined with black eyeliner that made her warm jade eyes stand out. Her nails were painted to match her dress, and she wore white wedges. Small white hoops dangled from her ears, and instead of her usual gold bracelets, she wore white ones.

Blaze's dress was a dark, satin green that was strapless and stopped at her ankles. She wore her hair in a French braid that fell a few inches below her shoulder. The only makeup she wore was mascara, and she wore golden bangles on her right arm. Diamond studs graced her ears, and she wore black, two inch heels.

Cream wore a cute chocolate colored dress that had silver flower designs embroidered across it that stopped at her knees. She wore her hair up in a side ponytail, her bangs straightened and pinned back. She wore nude lipstick and brown eye shadow that glittered in the moonlight. Silver flats graced her feet, and she wore silver, flower-shaped earrings

Rouge's dress was a shade of white that matched her snow-white fur perfectly. It was strapless with a sweetheart bust that tastefully showed some of her cleavage; its skirt was frilly, stopping mid-thigh. Her hair fell in beautiful white curls, and she wore black eye shadow and mascara. Diamond earrings dangled from her ears, and she wore matching diamond bracelets; her heels were white with a small bow on the back of them.

"Thanks! You look really nice too, Sally," said Blaze, Amy and Cream voicing their agreement while Rouge simply gave her a knowing smirk, her teal eyes glancing at Shadow, who was currently chatting it up with the guys.

"Yeah, hon, you clean up good. I wonder how Shadow reacted when he first saw you in that dress, or maybe he was taken aback by how much leg you're showing off," Rouge teased, reaching forward to gently pat Sally's exposed thigh. Sally blushed and gave a nervous giggle, absently rubbing her arm.

"What can I say? I aim to please. And the only reason I'm here is because I can't afford to risk you fucking up my hair while I'm asleep. Well, that and spending time with you guys and scoring some food," she laughed, nervously scratching the back of her head as her eyes darted wildly around, refusing to look any of them directly in the eye.

"If I didn't know any better," Amy began, the girls and her sharing knowing looks, "I would say that you liked Shadow."

"Um, I don't know what you're talking about, Amy." Blaze snorted, shaking her head in mild exasperation.

"Don't play dumb with us. We saw the way you two were hugging each other, all up in each other's personal space, which says a lot considering Shadow's not exactly a touchy-feely person," the lavender cat pointed out, a smug look on her face as Sally's cheeks quickly turned a bright red.

"It's okay, Sally! I think you and Shadow would make a wonderful couple!" Cream exclaimed as she hugged Sally, her head resting against her arm. Sally's eyes softened at the sight of the rabbit, and she hugged her back, not bothering with arguing back. Ugh, her friends were so crazy! Her and Shadow? Together? That was simply ridiculous! But her heart fluttered at the mere thought of him.

"Anyways," Sally began, intent on getting them off of her back, "are we gonna eat now or what?" Thankfully, they agreed with her and began walking to where their dates were somewhat impatiently waiting.

"It's about time you girls came back here!" Knuckles exclaimed. Rouge smirked, tracing her finger up and down his chest.

"Did you miss me, Knuckie?" she purred, and Knuckles' face lit up in an embarrassed blush while everyone else giggled at their antics. He grumbled something under his breath, but wrapped an arm around her waist while she leaned against him.

"Now that the girls are back, let's go eat," said Sonic, his own arm wrapped around Amy's waist, his fingers tracing invisible patterns on her hips while Amy sighed in contentment as she peered up at him, giving him a look so filled with love that it left the blue blur breathless.

Silver and Blaze were holding hands, their bodies pressed closely together; Silver pressed a sweet kiss on her cheek, and Blaze could only blush, a soft smile on her face. Tails and Cream locked their arms together, Cream resting her head on Tails' shoulder while Tails kissed her head, a bright smile on his face as he stared at her.

Shadow watched the scene before him and couldn't help but wonder if he would find somebody to do things like that with. Not that he wanted to or anything, but even he had to admit that it would be nice to have someone to share such tender moments with.

He felt something touching his hand, and as he looked down to see what there was to see, he was greeted with the sight of Sally holding his hand and intertwining their fingers. Speechless, Shadow could only hold hers back, giving it a firm squeeze, and he nearly broke out into a joyful grin when he felt her squeeze it back.

His arm somehow found itself wrapped around her waist, and she didn't resist him gently guiding her closer to him as he held her in his arm. Instead, she looked up at him, flashing him a bright and beautiful smile that had Shadow's stomach doing summersaults.

_And there she goes again, making me feel some type of way,_ he thought as they made their way inside the restaurant. However, he found that in that moment he didn't really mind so terribly. At least he could take comfort in knowing that it was mutual.

They all walked inside the restaurant, laughing and joking around. Shadow found that he didn't mind their company, they were his friends, after all, and that he was actually enjoying himself so far. They all walked to the podium, where a pretty rabbit with brown fur and curly black hair that stopped right at her neck, stood behind it. She was looking down, straightening out some menus, so she didn't see them standing there. Rouge then cleared her throat a couple of times to catch her attention.

The young woman jumped a little, startled. She was quick to look up, and she smiled sheepishly, an apologetic look on her face.

"Hello, I have a reservation under Rouge the Bat, dinner for ten," said Rouge. The young woman pulled out a medium-sized binder and opened it, scanning through the list of names. Finding Rouge's name, she quickly closed and put up the binder and picked up ten menus.

"I'll lead you all to your table. Right this way, please." She led them to a more secluded part of the restaurant. The table, wooden and painted a dark brown, was large and rectangular. There were two rows of five chairs; Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Silver and Shadow sat down on the left side while Amy, Cream, Rouge, Blaze, and Sally sat down on the right side. She then handed them a menu each, and, whipping out a notepad, she proceeded to take their orders.

"Hello, and welcome to Red Lobster. My name is Jessica, and I'll be your waitress for the night. What would you like to drink?" she asked in a cheerful, polite voice, pen ready to write down their orders. They whispered among themselves before finally deciding what they wanted. Since there was ten of them, Sonic decided to save them some trouble by ordering for all of them.

"Can we get two Cokes, two Sprites, two sweet teas, two Root Beers, and two Dr. Peppers, please?" Sonic asked.

"Alright then. Would you like a starter?"

"No thank you," Sonic politely declined.

"Okay! I'll be back with your drinks in a jiffy." She gave them another smile before walking off.

* * *

True to her word, Jessica soon came back, putting coasters in front of them. She placed the Cokes on Sonic and Tails' coasters, the sweet teas on Blaze and Rouge's coasters, the Root Beers on Cream and Shadow's coasters, the Sprites on Knuckles and Amy's coasters, and the Dr. Peppers on Sally and Silver's coasters; she also handed them some straws.

"Are you ready to order, or do you need more time?" Jessica asked, her notepad in her hand, her pen ready to write. Glancing at the others, who nodded their heads, Rouge nodded her head.

"We are. I'll have Crab Linguini Alfredo, full portion, with a baked potato as my side."

"Can I have what she's having too?" Silver asked. Jessica nodded her head, scribbling down their orders. Sonic decided to order next.

"We'll both have the Shrimp Linguini Alfredo, full portion, with a side of broccoli," the blue blur said, gesturing towards Tails and himself before closing his menu shut, laying it neatly on the table. Tails, Rouge and Silver handed him theirs, and he took them, stacking them on top of his.

"I'll have the Seaside Shrimp Trio with a side of mashed potatoes please," Shadow said, hurling his menu at Sonic's head. Sonic growled at him in mild annoyance while Shadow simply smirked at him.

"I'll have the Wood-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp and Salmon with the Petite Green Beans as my side, and she'll have the Ultimate Feast with a side of French fries," said Blaze, ordering for both herself and Sally. She took their menus and handed them to Sonic, who thanked her, shooting a fleeting glare Shadow's way, before stacking them on top of the other menus.

"May I have the Hand-Battered Fish and Chips with a side of mashed potatoes, please?" Cream asked, ever the polite and sweet one.

"Of course you can," the waitress answered, giving her a sweet smile before jotting down her order. Cream handed her menu to Sonic, who proceeded to place on top of the pile of menus.

"I'd like the Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Alfredo with broccoli as my side," Amy said.

"And I'll have the Maple-Glazed Chicken and with a baked potato as my side of choice," Knuckles, taking Amy's menu and handing both of theirs to Sonic, who then handed the stack of menus to Jessica. She read aloud what she had written to them to make sure she didn't accidentally jot down the wrong thing before taking the menus.

"Alright. Your food will be ready shortly." After she had left, the group began talking amongst themselves quietly.

"Aren't you glad you decided to come, Shadow?" Silver asked, levitating his silverware into the air to entertain himself. One arm was crossed behind his head, and a lazy smile graced his face, his golden eyes filled with a content ease. Shadow snorted, rolling his crimson eyes as he waited for his food. One foot was softly tapping against the floor, his hands folded neatly in his lap.

"I only came for the sake of my motorcycle," he answered, shrugging his shoulders, his tone and expression one of indifference. Sonic, who was leaning back in his chair staring off into space and appeared to not be paying attention to anything in particular, suddenly scoffed, his lips tugged into a lopsided grin while Tails and Knuckles shook their heads in disbelief.

He immediately sat up straight, his emerald eyes looking at Shadow, who stubbornly kept his gaze downward, refusing to meet that knowing gaze of his. Shaking his head softly, the movement rustling his blue quills, he chuckled quietly at Shadow's behavior.

"Are you sure that's the only reason why you came?" Sonic asked, discreetly gesturing towards Sally, who was talking to Blaze. Shadow involuntarily found his gaze straying towards the gorgeous princess. She was laughing at something Blaze had said, her smile wide and her eyes twinkling. She brushed a few strands of her hair away from her face, and he found himself itching to run his fingers through it.

As if she could feel his gaze on her, Sally looked away from Blaze, and their gazes locked. Her eyes softened, and her smile turned shy, her cheeks a very faint pink as she offered him a small wave. He felt his heart beat faster, his nerves tingling as he, without even thinking about it, offered her a small, genuine smile. His smile only grew as he watched her blush turn darker, and she quickly focused her attention back on Blaze.

"You don't even have to answer that question. Your face says it all," Knuckles said, and he and the guys laughed at the shocked look that crossed the dark hedgehog's face, crimson eyes widening just a fraction. Good God, was he that transparent? He couldn't be; he was Shadow the Hedgehog, damn it! How could those goofballs see so easily through him?

Gritting his teeth, his eyes narrowing and frowning, he subtly shot the bird at all of them and proceeded to tune them out, which proved to be a challenge since they wouldn't leave him the fuck alone.

"Just admit that you like her, Shadow. Hell, I'm glad you're crushing on somebody. I could've sworn you were asexual or something." It took the combined strength of Silver, Tails, and Knuckles to keep him from strangling the life out of Sonic, who sat calmly in his seat, though he did look somewhat worried. He didn't expect him to react so negatively from his joke, but obviously he didn't find said joke to be funny.

Shadow forced himself to keep calm and not do anything irrational, like punching Sonic's teeth out, and instead remained sitting still and keeping his anger in check. Taking a deep breath before exhaling, he spoke, keeping his gaze on anything but them.

"I never had a reason to like someone. I was perfectly okay with the way I was living my life, and then I met her, and everything I knew was turned upside down. I'm not used to feeling so strongly about someone in a romantic sense, and I don't know what to think of these _feelings_," Shadow admitted, spitting out the words as if they were poison in his mouth.

Silence hung in the air like a portrait in a museum, and each of them, save for Shadow, exchanged looks. They never really heard him speak so openly about his feelings and weren't entirely sure what they should do.

"Hey man, it's okay. It can be difficult liking someone, but now that you know that you like her, you should just tell her how you feel," said Tails, giving him an encouraging look.

"And if you're worried about her not liking you because you're not the everyday, typical Joe, don't. It's safe to say we're all pretty abnormal to some degree, so I doubt Sally would care that you're different," said Knuckles.

"Sally's down to Earth, she's sweet, caring, can take care of herself, and can handle you with hardly any trouble. She listens to you, and actually likes being around you, which is a definite plus," Silver added. Shadow opened his mouth to protest, but Sonic spoke before he had the chance to.

"Look Shadow, I've known Sally for a long time, and I know she's not the kind of person who goes for just looks alone. She goes for what's in the heart, and she likes whatever it is that lies in your heart; otherwise, she wouldn't have went, regardless of Rouge's threat or not. Sally likes you for who you are. Wait till she's done talking with the girls and ask her to go outside with you. Just tell her how you feel, get it out into the open, and then go from there," Sonic advised him. Shadow could do nothing but sigh and nod his head in agreement. He felt a sense of dread in his stomach, but he ignored it and anxiously waited for Sally to get done talking so he could get it over with.

With the girls…

"So, Sally, are you enjoying yourself?" Blaze asked, gold eyes briefly glancing her way. Sally nodded her head, smiling. While she initially wanted nothing to do with this outing, she was actually glad she came. She was spending time with her wonderful friends, and she was having a really great time too. She quickly stole a glance at Shadow, who was looking off to the side, his fingers thrumming softly on the table, and she found herself smiling harder.

_Ugh, here I go again thinking about him,_ she thought silently, cursing and loving the way he made her feel. He made her feel like her heart was going to explode from happiness, and she couldn't for the life of her understand why. It was so bizarre that it was Shadow of all people evoking such feelings from her, but surprisingly, she found that she enjoyed it. A lot, now that she was giving it some serious thought.

Rouge, ever the perceptive one, picked up on Sally's silence and saw that she was looking at Shadow with a soft smile, an expression of pure happiness on her face. Smirking, she nudged Blaze on the side, and, once she was sure she had the cat's attention, pointed at Sally.

Blaze noticed that she was seemingly staring off into space, but as she followed her line of sight, she saw that she was sneaking glances at a certain ebony hedgehog. She was soon smirking along with Rouge, while Amy and Cream could only look at their friends in puzzlement.

"Why are they looking like that, Amy?" Cream asked quietly, her lips pulled down into a confused frown. Amy's gaze landed on Sally, who was staring at Shadow, and soon the pink hedgehog was smirking too.

"Because," Amy began, her tone smug, "she's staring at Shadow like he's God greatest gift to the world." Cream decided to look for herself and saw that Amy was right. She was soon smirking along with them. She knew Sally liked Shadow, and Shadow liked her back. It was as plain as day.

Sally's ears perked up at that bit of the conversation, and she was quick to shoot them all a glare, her face hot with a blush.

"Wipe those smug smirks off of your damn faces. So what if I was staring at him? Have you looked at him? He's hot as hell! It's only natural that I'd enjoy staring at him," she hissed, making sure to keep her voice low so that the guys, namely Shadow, wouldn't overhear it.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, hon." The girls laughed, and Sally stubbornly looked away from them, glaring daggers into the table. And to think, she could've been at home sleeping and not dealing with her so called friends trying to read her like an open book.

Oh man, was she being that blatant with how she felt that they all caught on to it? She never minded wearing her heart on her sleeve at times, but this time, she'd rather keep her heart locked safely inside the confines of her rip cage. Okay, so she really liked Shadow. Big deal. That didn't necessarily mean anything because she and Shadow were only out on this date together because they were threatened to come. This wasn't even a real date since she and Shadow weren't even dating.

_While the date may not be real, this feeling I'm feeling is far from being fake,_ she mentally conceded, and she couldn't help but wonder how Shadow felt. She knew he felt that electricity rippling through their body when they held hands or when they shared a close embrace. So, he liked her; she just wished she knew how much he liked her.

"There's nothing wrong with liking him, Sally," Amy said gently, her jade eyes filled with a look of understanding. A frustrated sigh left her mouth, the puff of air lifting her hair from her face and upward for a few seconds before it fell back against her face. She smoothed her hair back into place, her gaze still firmly fixed on the table.

"I never said that. I just don't appreciate you guys having fun at my expense. I never mocked you when you realized your feelings for Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Silver, so I don't understand why you guys are basically make fun of the fact that I like someone. God, you guys make me sound like I'd never find someone or whatever," Sally snapped hotly, and her voice sounded uncharacteristically harsh, venom practically dripping from it.

The girls slightly flinched back in shock, not used to the chipmunk sounded so cruel. They were just playing, but they clearly took it too far if it garnered this kind of hostile reaction out of Sally. They all looked each other, a mixture of both guilt and worry on their faces. Blaze reached forward and touched her shoulder, wanting to apologize, but her hand faltered from the look on Sally's face.

Her eyes were narrowed dangerously, and her glare turned cold. Her hand tightened its hold on her glass as she took sip after sip of her drink to cool her anger down. Sally wasn't one to lose her temper easily, but even she had her limits. However, when she really took in the looks on her friends' face, she mentally took calming breaths, and slowly that fiery anger was put out.

"Look, I'm sorry for losing my cool. It's just that I've never liked anyone before, and you guys teasing me about it doesn't exactly uplift my self-esteem. Plus, I don't even know how Shadow feels about me. I really don't want to put my heart out there just for it to get crushed," she admitted, her shoulders slumping and a defeated look on her face, her normally bright eyes dull.

"Hey, we're sorry for teasing you, okay? We really didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but Sally, you've gotta have some faith in yourself. If you really like Shadow, just tell him. I know that stubborn hedgehog well, and I know for a fact that if he really, truly didn't want to go, he wouldn't go. He chose to come because he was coming with you, and that speaks volumes," Rouge said gently, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, Sally just go for it! I know you can do it!" Cream exclaimed, giving her a bright smile.

"You'll be fine. If anybody can handle Shadow and give him a challenge, it's you," Blaze said, patting her softly on the back and smile softly at her.

"Believe me Sally, liking someone isn't always easy and telling the person you like that you like them is even harder, but hey, you just have to believe in yourself and step out on faith. It'll all work out in the end," Amy added, giving her a wide grin and a thumbs-up. Sally nodded her head, releasing a shaky breath as she tried to calm herself down.

_Okay, Sally-girl. You got this, okay? You're Sally Alicia Acorn, a badass princess who can kick ass and look hot while doing it. You can do this._

"Hey, Sally." Sally's head jerked up, and she saw that Shadow was looking at her, an intensity burning fiercely in the depths of his eyes, and Sally felt as if her very heart had ceased beating. "I'm about to head outside. Would you like to come with me?" While Shadow was outwardly confident, he was a mess on the inside. So many possible outcomes were running around through his mind, some of them good while some of them weren't so good. To his immense relief, Sally nodded her head.

"Sure," Sally agreed, pushing her chair back and standing up. Shadow did the same thing, noticing how he was weak in the knees and how his legs felt like jelly. He felt nervous as hell, but hid it well. He walked towards Sally, and, after linking their arms tightly together, he turned towards the others.

"We'll be back." And without waiting for a response, he led Sally through the restaurant until they were finally outside. Billions of stars were scattered all across the inky black sky, while the moon sat in the center of the sky like some sort of regal queen. The wind blew gently, ruffling Shadow's quills and Sally's hair.

For a while, they said nothing, both unwilling to shatter the silence that stood between them like a giant wall of glass. Shadow, unlinking their arms, motioned for her to take a seat on the steps, which she did with him following suit. Again, nothing was said, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable or anything. It was just there, lying in wait for something to happen.

Shadow glanced at Sally; her eyes shone in the moonlight, a thoughtful expression on her face. It looked like her mind was miles away from here. Before he could stop himself, he reached forward and brushed his fingers against her smooth cheek. His fingers trailed down to her chin. Gently, he lifted up her chin so that she was now staring at him. Their eyes met, and he found himself getting lost in their sapphire depths.

"What are you thinking about, princess?" Was it just him, or was the space between them steadily decreasing? Sally noticed it too, but she didn't feel the need to say anything. It wasn't as if she was bothered by the lack of space. She wanted to be as close to Shadow as possible.

"How much I wanna kiss you." Her response was quick and blunt, and although he could easily hear the undertones of nervous in her voice and noticed how it wavered ever so slightly, he could easily hear the sureness in it. She stared at him through lidded eyes, and her hands slowly reached forward to cup his face.

Shadow couldn't help but laugh, and soon Sally was giggling along with him. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, marveling at how soft and silky it felt.

"Well, I guess great minds must think alike because I was thinking the same thing." Sally unconsciously licked her lips, and Shadow bit back a groan from the oddly sensual sight. Keeping her face tilted up and swallowing down his nervousness, Shadow leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.

He felt her body stiffen before slowly but surely relaxing, and he felt her hesitantly press her lips against his in an answering kiss. He could feel her lips trembling beneath his, how one hand let go of his cheek in favor of grasping his shoulder. His own hand found itself tangled in her hand, getting lost in its softness.

They were soon pulling away, each sporting a lopsided grin as they gazed at each other. The kiss, while brief, was nothing short of sweet and amazing. It was undoubtedly their first kiss, which made the tender moment that much sweeter. Shadow pressed another kiss against her cheek as he pulled her into his arms, and Sally didn't resist, welcoming and leaning into his warm embrace, her forehead resting against his.

"I really like you, princess, in case that kiss didn't make it clear." He ran his fingers through her hair, marveling at how soft it was.

"Yeah, well that's nice to know because I really like you too, Shadow. So, you and I are dating now, right?" Her hand was holding his, and Shadow held it back, squeezing it as he nodded her head. Sally grinned widely as she pressed a quick kiss on his lips more.

"Good because I have no intentions of letting you go."

"Believe me you princess, I have no intentions of leaving you."


End file.
